'Stubbs Trail' horse sculptures gallop up to £10,850

EIGHT of the remarkable horse sculptures created for last year's 300th centenary of the birth of the great equestrian artist George Stubbs made over £10,000 when they went under the hammer in an auction at the Messingham Saleroom.

- By PAUL POTTER

The horses half of them life-size, half miniature were among twenty commissioned by North Lincolnshire Council, to create a 'Stubbs Trail' of sites with connections to the artist who lived in the area for several years in the mid-18th century.

Each of the sculptures was the work of a contemporary artist collaborating with a local school or community group. Each group was given the choice of keeping their horse when the Stubbs celebration ended or having it sold for charity.

First to go under the hammer was 'George,' the largest sculpture, a 6ft 9in tall giant that was the work of Gillian Higgins, not only an artist but an equine anatomy expert and founder of Horses Inside Out, a leading provider of equine education.